Pressure equalizing valve

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an assembly, including a filter and pressure equalizing valve, for relieving the interior of a burial casket of moisture and odor. The valve utilizes a thin, resilient disc or wafer, preferably formed of polyethylene, which is flexed into a substantially concavo-convex configuration to unseal an outlet port when a relatively small pressure differential (of the order of one-half inch water column) exists on the opposite sides of the disc.

United States Patent [191 Criswell Feb. 13, 1973 1 PRESSURE EQUALIZINGVALVE [76] Inventor: Dick M. Criswell, 529 Barbee Way,

Danville, Ky.

[22] Filed: May 24, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 146,185

3,196,924 7/1965 Kaminga ..137/525 X 3,417,768 l2/1968 Wasson ..137/525X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 67,179 2/1892 Germany ..137/5 10Primary ExaminerMartin P. Schwadron Assistant Examiner-David .I. ZobkiwAttorneyW0odard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [5 7] ABSTRACT Disclosed isan assembly, including a filter and pressure equalizing valve, forrelieving the interior of a burial casket of moisture and odor. Thevalve utilizes a thin, resilient disc or wafer, preferably formed ofpolyethylene, which is flexed into a substantially concave-convexconfiguration to unseal an outlet port when a relatively small pressuredifferential (of the order of one-half inch water column) exists on theopposite sides of the disc.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PRESSURE EQUALIZING VALVE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Because events sometimes interrupt the normal time sequence inembalming and burial (delayed burial, for example), it is necessary torelieve the pressure within a casket by venting itto atmosphere. It isdesireable to maintain the casket sealed until the pressure differentialreaches a predetermined value before venting takes place, hence a simplevent aperture is unsatisfactory. An assembly which incorporates a valvebiased to closed position must also, for this purpose, include an odorand vapor filtering component.

The concept of the present invention is embodied in a unitary assemblyincluding a filter component and a normally closed valve, of simple,trouble-free construction, which moves to open position when only arelatively small pressure differential exists across it. The valve isconveniently calibrated upon assembly and complete filter and-valve unitcan be easily and quickly installed in a casket by mechanicallyunskilled persons at the time that the funeral director determines thatthe filter and venting 'function are necessary for a particular burial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of aconventional burial casket with portions broken away to illustrate theapparatus of the present invention installed in the casket.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, side view of the filter and valve components ofthe structure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-sectional view of the valvecomponent shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring initially to FIG. 1there is shown at a conventional burial casket having a top portion 11hinged to a base portion 12 and with a transverse division 13 whichpermits opening of the cap portion of the casket. Such caskets arenormally provided with seals along the junction of the hinged upperportion and the lower base portion and sealed across the transversedividing line 13.

The structure embodying the present invention, indicated generally at 14in FIG. 1, is deposited at a convenient place within the casket and thefilter element 16 and valve component 17 communicate by means of theflexible tubev 18 with a fitting 19 mounted in the side of the casket atany inconspicuous location. The fitting 19 is shown in detail in FIG. 3and is installed in the casket wall and provided with a threaded cap(not shown) at its outer end, the inner end being adapted to extend intoand accommodate the end of the tube 18. It will be understood that ameans other than the capped fitting 19 might be utilized for providingcommunication of the interior of the tube 18 with atmosphere, however,the use of the fitting as described, with the cap removed in the case ofthose caskets in which the apparatus of the present invention is to beutilized has proven to be satisfactory.

Referring to FIG. 2, the filter element 16 takes'the form of a polyvinylchloride tube 21 which is filled with a suitable, conventional charcoalfilter material. The end of the tube 21 receives a disc of filter paper22 and superimposed on the disc 22 is a cap member 23 having a series ofclosely spaced apertures'24 through the cap. The closure 23 is rigidlyfastened to the end of the tube by any suitable adhesive and, until theassembly is placed in use, a sealing disc of paper 26 is attached to theend of the closure 23 sealing the apertures 24, the paper disc beingattached to the closure by a non-drying adhesive so that it can beeasily removed when the assembly is placed in use.

The opposite end of the housing 21 also receives a disc of filter paper27 and this end of the housing is closed by the valve body 28 whichforms a part of the valve component indicated generally at 17. The valvebody 28 is provided with a central bore 29 which extends with reduceddiameter toform a shoulder portion 31, this shoulder portion extendingslightly within the tubular housing 21 and being rigidly attached to thehousing by any suitable adhesive means. A resilient means, taking theform of a coiled compression spring 32, is accommodated within the bore29, the spring 32 having a relatively low force-deflection ratio.Accommodated with the extending end of the body 28 is a thin, flat,resilient element which may take the form of the polyethylene disc 33having a thickness of the order of 0.003 inches. A plug 36 having acentral passage or bore 37 through it is accommodated within the reducedend portion 28a of the valve body 28. When in place within the valvebody, the portion 36a, having a reduced diameter, bears against theresilient disc 33 with the spring 32, engaging the peripheral area ofthe disc 33, serving to urge the central portion of the disc against theportion 36a of the plug to seal or obstruct the central passage 37. Theouter end 36b of the plug may be adapted to accommodate the tube 18.

In assembling the plug 36 to the valve body 28, the disc 33 ispositioned within the valve body and the plug 36 is inserted into thebore 29. During this assembly, a pressure equal to the pressure at whichit is desired to have the valve open is established within the bore 29.Thus, as the plugs 36 are inserted into the bore 29 the disc 33 will bemoved leftwardly (as viewed in FIG. 2) and energy will be stored in theslightly compressed spring 32 until the force exerted by the spring onthe disc 33 is sufficient to cause it to move to a concavoconvexposition, such as indicated at 330 in FIG. 3, thereby unsealing thepassage 37 through the plug. When this depth of insertion of the plug 36within the bore 29 is reached, the plug 36 is permanently'adhered to thevalve body 28 and the assembly and calibration of the valve is completesince the existence of the predetermined pressure in the passage 29 willjust be sufficient, with the aid of spring 32, to distort the disc 33into its concave-convex position shown in broken v lines in FIG. 3 toopen the valve. The pressure dif- When the assembly is to be utilizedwith any casket, thevalve and filter component are placed within thecasket as shown in FIG. 1 and the end of the tube 18 is attached to thefitting 19 and the cap (not shown) on the fitting 19 is removed. Theinterior of the casket remains sealed because the disc 33 obstructs thepassage 37 in the plug 36, however, should the pressure within thecasket rise above the calibrated value, the disc 33 will distort to itsconcavo-convex configuration permitting reduction of pressure in thecasket through the tube 18 until the pressure is equalized withatmospheric pressure. It will be noted that the valve assembly alsofunctions to prevent the entry of air into the casket from the exterior,that is, the sealed condition of the casket is not altered as long asthe pressure in the casket does not exceed the calibrated amount.

lclaim:

l. A low pressure-differential actuated valve assembly comprising avalve body having a central bore therethrough with one end of said boreserving as an inlet passage for said valve assembly, a plug inserted toa selective depth within said bore, said plug having a central borecoaxial with and communicating with said body bore and adapted at itsouter end to function as an outlet for said valve assembly, the innerend portion of said plug being of reduced diameter, a thin flatresilient element disposed within said central bore in said body, andmeans resiliently urging said element against the reduced end of saidplug to obstruct the central bore therethrough, said element assuming asubstantially concavo-convex configuration ,upon the existence of apredetermined pressure differential between said valve assembly inletand outlet to thereby open communication therebetween.

2. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said resilientelement takes the form of a disc and said resilient means takes the formof a coiled compression spring engaging said disc adjacent its outermargin and the central portion of said disc, when unflexed closesthereduced diameter inner end of said plug.

3. A valveassembly as claimed in claim 2 in which said disc is formed ofpolyethylene and has a thickness of the order of 0.003 inches.

4. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the depth ofinsertion of said plug into said body bore determines the energy storedin said resilient means and hence the pressure differential at whichsaid resilient element assumes its substantially concavoconvexconfiguration and opens communication between said valve inlet andoutlet. I

5. A filter and venting valve assembly for use with burial casketscomprising a tubular housing apertured at one end providing an intakeand containing a filter medium for filtering the gases passing axiallythrough the housing, the .end of said housing remote from the intake endhaving attached thereto a valve body, said valve body having a centralbore therethrough with one end of said bore serving as an inlet passagefor said valve body, a plug inserted to a selective depth within saidbore, said plug having a central bore coaxial with and communicatingwith said body bore and adapted at its outer end to function as anoutlet for said filter and venting valve assembly, the inner end portionof said plug being of reduced diameter, a thin flat resilient elementdisposed within said central bore in said body, and means resilientlyurging said element against the reduced end of said plug to obstruct thecentral bore therethrough, said element assuming a substantiallyconcave-convex configuration upon the existence of a predeterminedpressure differential between said valve body inlet and valve assemblyoutlet to thereby open communication ther beiwe em

1. A low pressure-differential actuated valve assembly comprising avalve body having a central bore therethrough with one end of said boreserving as an inlet passage for said valve assembly, a plug inserted toa selective depth within said bore, said plug having a central borecoaxial with and communicating with said body bore and adapted at itsouter end to function as an outlet for said valve assembly, the innerend portion of said plug being of reduced diameter, a thin flatresilient element disposed within said central bore in said body, andmeans resiliently urging said element against the reduced end of saidplug to obstruct the central bore therethrough, said element assuming asubstantially concavo-convex configuration upon the existence of apredetermined pressure differential between said valve assembly inletand outlet to thereby open communication therebetween.
 1. A lowpressure-differential actuated valve assembly comprising a valve bodyhaving a central bore therethrough with one end of said bore serving asan inlet passage for said valve assembly, a plug inserted to a selectivedepth within said bore, said plug having a central bore coaxial with andcommunicating with said body bore and adapted at its outer end tofunction as an outlet for said valve assembly, the inner end portion ofsaid plug being of reduced diameter, a thin flat resilient elementdisposed within said central bore in said body, and means resilientlyurging said element against the reduced end of said plug to obstruct thecentral bore therethrough, said element assuming a substantiallyconcavo-convex configuration upon the existence of a predeterminedpressure differential between said valve assembly inlet and outlet tothereby open communication therebetween.
 2. A valve assembly as claimedin claim 1 in which said resilient element takes the form of a disc andsaid resilient means takes the form of a coiled compression springengaging said disc adjacent its outer margin and the central portion ofsaid disc, when unflexed closes the reduced diameter inner end of saidplug.
 3. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which said disc isformed of polyethylene and has a thickness of the order of 0.003 inches.4. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the depth ofinsertion of said plug into said body bore determines the energy storedin said resilient means and hence the pressure differential at whichsaid resilient element assumes its substantially concavo-convexconfiguration and opens communication between said valve inlet andoutlet.